San Antonio Spurs' DeJuan Blair talks with head coach Gregg Popovich during second half action against the Indiana Pacers Monday Nov. 5, 2012 at the AT&T Center. The Spurs won 101-79. (Edward A. Ornelas / San Antonio Express-News) less

San Antonio Spurs' DeJuan Blair talks with head coach Gregg Popovich during second half action against the Indiana Pacers Monday Nov. 5, 2012 at the AT&T Center. The Spurs won 101-79. (Edward A. Ornelas / San ... more

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San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich hugs former player Indiana Pacers' George Hill after the game Monday Nov. 5, 2012 at the AT&T Center. The Spurs won 101-79. (Edward A. Ornelas / San Antonio Express-News) less

San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich hugs former player Indiana Pacers' George Hill after the game Monday Nov. 5, 2012 at the AT&T Center. The Spurs won 101-79. (Edward A. Ornelas / San Antonio ... more

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San Antonio Spurs' Tony Parker is helped by fans after landing in their seats while chasing a loose ball during second half action against the Indiana Pacers Monday Nov. 5, 2012 at the AT&T Center. The Spurs won 101-79. (Edward A. Ornelas / San Antonio Express-News) less

San Antonio Spurs' Tony Parker is helped by fans after landing in their seats while chasing a loose ball during second half action against the Indiana Pacers Monday Nov. 5, 2012 at the AT&T Center. The Spurs ... more

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San Antonio Spurs' Tim Duncan helps Tony Parker up after he fell into the fans while chasing a loose ball during second half action against the Indiana Pacers Monday Nov. 5, 2012 at the AT&T Center. The Spurs won 101-79. (Edward A. Ornelas / San Antonio Express-News) less

San Antonio Spurs' Tim Duncan helps Tony Parker up after he fell into the fans while chasing a loose ball during second half action against the Indiana Pacers Monday Nov. 5, 2012 at the AT&T Center. The Spurs ... more

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San Antonio Spurs' Nando De Colo drives around Indiana Pacers' Orlando Johnson during second half action Monday Nov. 5, 2012 at the AT&T Center. The Spurs won 101-79. (Edward A. Ornelas / San Antonio Express-News) less

San Antonio Spurs' Nando De Colo drives around Indiana Pacers' Orlando Johnson during second half action Monday Nov. 5, 2012 at the AT&T Center. The Spurs won 101-79. (Edward A. Ornelas / San Antonio ... more

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San Antonio Spurs' Tiago Splitter shoots against the Indiana Pacers during second half action Monday Nov. 5, 2012 at the AT&T Center. The Spurs won 101-79. (Edward A. Ornelas / San Antonio Express-News)

San Antonio Spurs' Tiago Splitter shoots against the Indiana Pacers during second half action Monday Nov. 5, 2012 at the AT&T Center. The Spurs won 101-79. (Edward A. Ornelas / San Antonio Express-News)

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San Antonio Spurs' head coach Gregg Popovich calls a play during first half action against the Indiana Pacers Monday Nov. 5, 2012 at the AT&T Center. (Edward A. Ornelas / San Antonio Express-News)

San Antonio Spurs' head coach Gregg Popovich calls a play during first half action against the Indiana Pacers Monday Nov. 5, 2012 at the AT&T Center. (Edward A. Ornelas / San Antonio Express-News)

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San Antonio Spurs' Tony Parker (from left), Tim Duncan, Boris Diaw, and Matt Bonner relax on the bench during second half action against the Indiana Pacers Monday Nov. 5, 2012 at the AT&T Center. The Spurs won 101-79. (Edward A. Ornelas / San Antonio Express-News) less

San Antonio Spurs' Tony Parker (from left), Tim Duncan, Boris Diaw, and Matt Bonner relax on the bench during second half action against the Indiana Pacers Monday Nov. 5, 2012 at the AT&T Center. The Spurs won ... more

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The San Antonio Spurs Coyote performs during the game with the Indiana Pacers Monday Nov. 5, 2012 at the AT&T Center. The Spurs won 101-79. (Edward A. Ornelas / San Antonio Express-News)

The San Antonio Spurs Coyote performs during the game with the Indiana Pacers Monday Nov. 5, 2012 at the AT&T Center. The Spurs won 101-79. (Edward A. Ornelas / San Antonio Express-News)

San Antonio Spurs' Kawhi Leonard drives to the basket between Indiana Pacers' Roy Hibbert (left) and Sam Young during first half action Monday Nov. 5, 2012 at the AT&T Center. (Edward A. Ornelas / San Antonio Express-News) less

San Antonio Spurs' Kawhi Leonard drives to the basket between Indiana Pacers' Roy Hibbert (left) and Sam Young during first half action Monday Nov. 5, 2012 at the AT&T Center. (Edward A. Ornelas / San Antonio ... more

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San Antonio Spurs' Kawhi Leonard shoots between Indiana Pacers' David West (left) and Paul George during second half action Monday Nov. 5, 2012 at the AT&T Center. The Spurs won 101-79. (Edward A. Ornelas / San Antonio Express-News) less

San Antonio Spurs' Kawhi Leonard shoots between Indiana Pacers' David West (left) and Paul George during second half action Monday Nov. 5, 2012 at the AT&T Center. The Spurs won 101-79. (Edward A. Ornelas / San ... more

San Antonio Spurs' Tim Duncan drives to the basket around Indiana Pacers' Roy Hibbert during second half action Monday Nov. 5, 2012 at the AT&T Center. The Spurs won 101-79. (Edward A. Ornelas / San Antonio Express-News) less

San Antonio Spurs' Tim Duncan drives to the basket around Indiana Pacers' Roy Hibbert during second half action Monday Nov. 5, 2012 at the AT&T Center. The Spurs won 101-79. (Edward A. Ornelas / San Antonio ... more

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San Antonio Spurs' Danny Green grabs for a rebound between Indiana Pacers' David West (left) and Sam Young during second half action Monday Nov. 5, 2012 at the AT&T Center. The Spurs won 101-79. (Edward A. Ornelas / San Antonio Express-News) less

San Antonio Spurs' Danny Green grabs for a rebound between Indiana Pacers' David West (left) and Sam Young during second half action Monday Nov. 5, 2012 at the AT&T Center. The Spurs won 101-79. (Edward A. ... more

San Antonio Spurs' Manu Ginobili passes around Indiana Pacers' Ian Mahinmi as Indiana Pacers' Paul George looks on during second half action Monday Nov. 5, 2012 at the AT&T Center. The Spurs won 101-79. (Edward A. Ornelas / San Antonio Express-News) less

San Antonio Spurs' Manu Ginobili passes around Indiana Pacers' Ian Mahinmi as Indiana Pacers' Paul George looks on during second half action Monday Nov. 5, 2012 at the AT&T Center. The Spurs won 101-79. (Edward ... more

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San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, left, talks with DeJuan Blair (45) during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game against the Indiana Pacers, Monday, Nov. 5, 2012, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) (Associated Press) less

San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, left, talks with DeJuan Blair (45) during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game against the Indiana Pacers, Monday, Nov. 5, 2012, in San Antonio. (AP ... more

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Indiana Pacers' George Hill (3) is defended by San Antonio Spurs' Tim Duncan, left, and DeJuan Blair (45) as he drives to the basket during the second quarter of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Nov. 5, 2012, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) (Associated Press) less

Indiana Pacers' George Hill (3) is defended by San Antonio Spurs' Tim Duncan, left, and DeJuan Blair (45) as he drives to the basket during the second quarter of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Nov. 5, 2012, in ... more

San Antonio Spurs' Tony Parker, of France, reacts to a call during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game against the Indiana Pacers, Monday, Nov. 5, 2012, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) (Associated Press) less

San Antonio Spurs' Tony Parker, of France, reacts to a call during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game against the Indiana Pacers, Monday, Nov. 5, 2012, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) (Associated ... more

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Indiana Pacers' George Hill (3) is fouled by San Antonio Spurs' Tony Parker (9), of France, during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Nov. 5, 2012, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) (Associated Press) less

Indiana Pacers' George Hill (3) is fouled by San Antonio Spurs' Tony Parker (9), of France, during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Nov. 5, 2012, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) ... more

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Pacers left behind by first 4-0 Spurs

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They still talk often, and still call each other by the same goofy nicknames they bestowed on each other as teammates in San Antonio.

Big — that paradoxically would be Hill — has moved on to a new life running the Pacers.

Smalls — that would be Spurs big man DeJuan Blair — has melted into a sometimes-frustrating experience at the end of coach Gregg Popovich's bench.

Unleashed at last Monday night, Smalls came up big in the Spurs' 101-79 shellacking of the Pacers — with Big in the building no less.

Handed 29 minutes, 10 seconds of playing time, after not playing at all in two of three games coming in, Blair responded with 14 points and 11 rebounds to spark a dominating night for the Spurs' bench.

With 17 points from Gary Neal — on 8-of-10 shooting — and another 12 from Stephen Jackson, the Spurs' subs outscored Indiana's 57-35. The victory at the AT&T Center lifted the Spurs to 4-0 for the first time in team history, a curiously overdue feat for the most successful NBA franchise of the past 15 years.

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“It's just a stat, not that important in the long term,” said Manu Ginobili, who contributed just three of the Spurs' bench points but did notch seven assists. “At this point, we're enjoying it.”

Monday's win came in a manner the Spurs' previous three had not.

Tim Duncan was his usual efficient self — 14 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and three steals in 25:39. But Tony Parker struggled with his shooting, going 3 of 13 en route to six points (he added seven assists).

With their two leading scorers headed for season lows, the Spurs turned to their bench to provide a jolt against the Pacers (2-2).

The biggest push came from a player who before Monday had logged a total of 10:31 and scored two points.

Blair took his frustrations to Twitter after taking a DNP in the Spurs' season opener at New Orleans. Then, he took his frustrations out on the practice court.

“DeJuan's been very professional,” Popovich said. “I haven't played him very much at all, and he stayed in shape and ready to go. He's part of this team, and he's not going to let anything get him down.”

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mySA.com: See a photo gallery from the Spurs vs. Pacers game.

There were moments Monday in which Blair played with the controlled energy that hallmarked his All-Rookie campaign of 2009-10.

At the end of the first quarter, he scored the first four points of a 15-0 spurt the Spurs would use to break the game open. Elsewhere during that run, Blair used a deft passing touch to find Kawhi Leonard for a pair of layups, half his four assists.

“That's what I've got to bring back,” said Blair, in his fourth season out of Pittsburgh. “I've got the body to do it now. Just play my role, and when I'm called on, just be ready.”

If Blair was disheartened after his early-season bench time, he never shared that with Hill, who the Spurs traded to Indiana on draft night 2011 for Leonard.

“When you see DeJuan, you always see a smile on his face,” said Hill, who had 15 points and six assists in his return to the AT&T Center. “He's a high-spirited person, trying to think positive.”

“Always be prepared,” is not just the Boy Scouts' motto. It is a way of life on a team coached by Popovich, who at times can give the impression he's drawing his nightly rotation out of a hat.

“We're all used to it,” Ginobili said. “If you're not, you'll end up somewhere else.”

There was a time Blair figured he'd be somewhere else before the start of the season, saying over the summer he expected to be traded.

Instead, Smalls was still with the Spurs on Monday night, reunited with Big and playing like old times.

“You're dealing with a championship organization; you're going to have your ups and downs,” Hill said. “But like I always tell him, keep pounding that rock, keep getting ready for that opportunity. And when that opportunity comes, you take advantage of it.”